Reviews: Echo

Final Rating: 2/5

We were first introduced to Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) back in the 2021 Disney+ series, Hawkeye. We learned during that series that Maya was a commander of the Tracksuit Mafia, a criminal organization serving as the band of baddies set up for Hawkeye to knock back down. Maya is a fierce fighter, a member of the Choctaw Nation (a small point greatly expanded upon in her own series) as well as a deaf amputee.  

During an encounter with the archer-turned-samurai Clint Barton, Maya learns that the man responsible for her father’s murder is none other than her adoptive uncle and Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). This leads to a showdown between her and Kingpin, ultimately resulting in her getting her revenge on the gangster, albeit ambiguously off-screen. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has reached the point where that recap sounds as bizarre and convoluted as the comic book series these properties are based on. As an individual that is still fully committed to consuming every bit of media Disney pumps into the long running franchise, following along is only slightly exhausting. It is unfortunate that a series like Echo has such a barrier to entry to anyone giving the show a try for any reason other than being an MCU fan. 

The first episode of the series serves as a means for the returning audience to catch up more than it is an introduction of the character to new viewers. We first see Maya Lopez as a child, played by Darnell Besaw. During the brief scenes of her childhood we’re shown bite-sized moments of what lead her to working under Kingpin. These moments unfortunately feel too fast paced, allowing us no time at all to learn anything about Maya beyond the plot happening around her. 

What should be sweet moments with her father feel more like forced points of dialog, one-liners that will surely be recalled as inspirational jargon during the climax of a later episode. In the first 30 minutes we get a rushed childhood trauma, a half-hearted recap of Maya’s introduction in Hawkeye, and a seemingly unconnected moment with ancient magic users that feels jarring alongside our street level anti-hero. 

Thankfully the action in episode one is some of Marvel’s best. Adopting the feel of the single-shot style that was praised in the Netflix series Daredevil, Maya’s first fight sequence is a joy to watch. We get a good taste of her skill levels as a fighter and even a couple of much-needed glimpses of her personality popping up between punches. 

The sudden cameo here of a fan-favorite character works perfectly in upping the intensity of the fight (he’s never looked better!) and serves as a great explanation for Maya’s surprisingly quick rise through the ranks of Kingpin’s army. As much as I loved the scene, part of me does wonder if this cameo moment will further confuse those who are anything but die hard MCU fans. 

The following episodes unfortunately lose quite a bit of steam. The series takes the obvious, and maybe lazy approach of opening each episode showing us what we can assume are Maya’s ancestors showcasing their skills. While these segments are interesting and attempt to be stylistic (the third episode’s “silent western” choice quickly contradicts what it’s attempting to do) they ultimately take away time that the audience needs to be spending with Maya. 

We’re also introduced to our side characters here, the best being Graham Greene’s character, Skully. Greene is the only person that brings out any humanity in Maya, and the few scenes they share together are easily the best character moments of the show. 

All of our other side characters are quickly reduced to voices of reason for Maya, helping to vilify her by showcasing her selfishness and lack of concern towards the people she once loved. This approach does technically help characterize our lead, but I would’ve preferred to see Alaqua Cox paint Maya through her performance. 

The action also takes a hit after the premier. Both episodes culminate in set pieces that feel very low stakes, with episode three downplaying Maya’s skills and even feeling a little goofy. The woman that held her own against Ronin now fumbles through a confrontation with the least intimidating henchman of the MCU to date. 

Episode three ends up feeling like filler, with its sole purpose being to bring Maya and her childhood friend Bonnie (Devery Jacobs) back together. Sadly, even their confrontation couldn’t bring out the emotion we so need to see from Cox’s performance. We do get an unsurprising cliffhanger at the end of this episode, a moment that may have hit harder if Disney and Marvel didn’t continue to make a habit of using spoilers for marketing. 

Ultimately the first half of the mini series has a few solid moments of action, but I don’t believe those will be enough to have viewers cheering for more Maya Lopez. There’s just not enough here to hook newcomers. And while the “watch everything” fans will probably be more excited for more Kingpin, I don’t think that’s the best result for the show about Echo.

Thank you to Disney+ for the screeners.